Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-11-01
EX-SENATOR CAMDEN.
WHAT he SAYS ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION
OF AUNION BRIDGE.
Il Is the Best Scheme Ever Devised for the Growth
and Prosperity Of the Clty-E1tsnsion
Of the Ohio River Road, &c.

Ex-senator j. n Camden arrived in the
city last night from Parkersburg, and left
again this morning for Pittsburg on busi-
ness in connection with his railroad. He
reports that trains will be running from
Wheeling to Huntington sure by January
1st. All the masonry on the big Kanawha
bridge is completed aud ready for the su-
perstructure. There remains about ten
miles of tra ck laying to complete the ex-
tension
Mr.. Camden thinks the time between
Wheeling and Hunt ngton will be eight
hours, and between Wheeling and Cincin-
natl twelve hours. The Cincinnati extern
sion will be in operation some time next
summer, when Mr.. Huntington will have
the finest bridge on the Ohio connecting
his road with Cincinnati.
At this iuncture Mr.. Camden expressed
great interest in the proposed Union bridge
at this point. He hoped 10 have an oppor-
tunity TO talk to the committee on this
subject in the near future. He wants 10
say to the members that there had never
been anything talked of hereabouts that
would be of such benefit to the city. He
predicted if the bridge were built that in
less than three years it would be paying
dividends. But that was a small matter
as compared to its indirect advantages to
the city. Wheeling would at once become
great railroad center-a place where
railroads would want to yet
to and depart from. "Why, I, for
one, =" remarked the Senator do not want
to be blocked up here with my road and all
its southerly and southwesterly connec-
tons By January lst the Ohio River
road ID; III have direct connection with New
Orleans Ii will want to get to the north
west by way of the Union bridge and To-
ledo rs cOmptti groute; Connellsviile will
want to do The same, and you will nave all
those Ohio roads running southeasterly aud
eastward knocking at your doors for adj
mittance." Continuing, Mr. Camden said
"Your people will never feel the burden in
the way OF taxation; the increase of pOpu-
lation and taxable property from railroads
alone will swell your valuations
much more than your outlay. When
your bridge il built do not
doubt but the Ohio River will have feeder
via. New Martinsville up into the Monon-
gala and Harrison county coal fields The
vast coal veins on the West Fork of the
Monongahela river are but continuation
of the Connellsville coal. Already there
are oyer 300 coke ovens up there and more
building. Ii Wheeling had railroad to
the points refer, her manufacturers would
yet their coke for abOut one-third what il
now costs them, as the distance is
but siXty-tiye miles Senator
Camden referred TO one large establish
ment in the city which averages 800 tons
of coke per day. The freight from Con.
nellsville to Wheeling is ST. So per ton,
from Connellsyille TO Pittsburg but 6s
cents per ton. Here is single item on
which $500 per day cOuld be saved to this
manufacturer b. direct road to Connells-
vile, which il sure TO be built if the Union
bridge is erected.
Mr.. Camden had much more to say on
this interesting topic in the same vein,
but the above is enough to indicate what
one Of West Virginia's most energetic,
sagaCious and successful business men
thinks of the enterprise.
Before saying good night to Mr.. Camden,
the REGISTER representative could not re-
frain from asking about that alleged inter
view in New York between Mr.. Mason and
himself, referred to in recent Washington
dispatch To the REGISTER.
Did you ever see the ex-senator smile
and his eye twinkle? Yes, reader, you
have, know. They are very significant
and mean much more than the tongue ut
tereth. On this occasion there was that
very felictious smile and merry twinkle,
but all the tongue would say was that he and
Mason happened to be in New York at the
same time, hut what was said was private
and Of no public importance, and he did
not want to talk about it.